The World that has Always Been
by GennyWAR
Summary: Sora and Goofy are exploring uncharted space without the aid of their Wizard companion when they come across a lonely planet and decide to explore. What they find is a place that has always been, and always been waiting.


The space between worlds was very lonely that day. Only half a dozen ships had crossed the Highwind's path - armed scouts. Sora treated the few that strayed too close with burns across their elastic hulls. No more approached after that. Sora glanced at his co-pilot; Goofy was asleep, his head resting on his chest. The sight made Sora chuckle, but still, he felt lonely. He supposed he should take the opportunity to relax a bit, after all, space was clear, uncharted, and Donald wasn't quacking in his ear, trying to take the controls. He supposed he'd let his companion sleep a bit longer, then wake him for some conversation.

Donald had gone to Disney Castle at the request of the King. The duck was the court's best wizard, and would be needed there - there had been an alert, a group of heartless were preparing a siege. Sora would have stayed as well, but he had other things to do, creatures of Darkness to hunt. Donald had assured him that he could handle it. There had been no reason to disbelieve him.

Sora wouldn't say it aloud, but not having the wizard at his side made him a bit uneasy. Sora had some magical talent himself, but his real business was the keyblade. Sora checked the gummi ship's equipment. There wasn't much to check. Most it was controlled remotely, by Chip and Dale, but Sora could take full control if the situation needed it. That didn't happen often though.

So, Sora sat, silent and contemplative. Only the hum of the engine pushed away the invasive silence of the outside. Eventually his mind wandered to Kairi, and he smiled. He could have sat there, thinking about her for a long time, but a growing unease had begun to invade his thoughts. He decided that it was time to wake Goofy up, and break the unnatural calm that had fallen over the ship and its occupants.

Sora was reaching out to wake Goofy and break the silence when the computer beat him to it and let out a cheerful series of beeps. Goofy stirred and stretched. "There already, hya?" Sora retracted his hand and looked out the window at the object coming into view. "I guess so." he answered and watched the world come closer. It seemed to hang in the deserted space like a swollen fruit. One that was hanging alone on some decrepit vine, and had begun to rot before falling to earth. Sora shook his head, banishing the vision. No world could be so dark, not unless it were overcome with Darkness, and if that were the case, then it would simply cease to exist. No, this world had yet to be touched by Heartless themselves, Darkness perhaps, but they would find no great antagonist here. Sora nodded to himself. _That must be why the world seems so strange. I've never been to an uncharted world before._

"Lets check it out." Sora said now that his curiosity had banished any misgivings he'd had about the world a moment ago. He looked over at Goofy, who didn't seem so eager.

"I dunno, Sora (Soh-ra)," he said, frowning down at the tiny planet in the window. "Do you think we need to?"

Sora frowned, the world probably wasn't in any danger from the Heartless, being so far out, but that could mean the planet's keyhole was unsealed as well, and if any Heartless were to end up here... but... Sora looked at the emptiness around the planet, it wasn't like anything was going to be arriving soon, at least not via gummi.

"I think we should at least have a look." He said, with a sharp nod to punctuate the statement. Goofy relented. He would follow Sora to the ends of the earth. Had done so before in fact.

Sora settled his hand over one of the control panels, making sure the chipmunks were receiving their co-ordinates. Sora was a fine pilot, better than Donald anyway, but he preferred to have the tiny duo backing him up, especially when it came to navigation. The signal was a bit weak, but steady. Sora was satisfied and brought the ship down a bit lower and scanned the area below for a good place to land.

Sora was generally not so cautious when it came to exploring new places. Each new world was, after all, another chance to make new friends and help people in need. If he'd thought about it, he may have excused this behavior as an effect of Donald's absence, or because this word was indeed very strange. He didn't think about it though; Sora wasn't the type to consider his behavior in such a way.

Now that he was closer he saw that much of the world was covered in thick forest, which seemed to grow upon the world like lush green mold. It took him some time to find a good place to land, but he managed, easing the Highwind down, pushing through the thick canopy. He locked the ship into place against the trees and gave Goofy a grin which his dog-faced companion returned. Together they gathered their equipment and ventured outside.

The forest was oppressively dark. Though the sky above was bright and the sun was high, the only real light that penetrated past the thick canopy was around the Highwind, giving the ship an almost holy aura. Sora peered out into the murk. The light that did filter past leaves gave the whole place a greenish tint. The forest was thick, but there was virtually no undergrowth, as there was not enough light below the canopy for plants to thrive.

Goofy walked up next to Sora. "Gawrsh, those trees must be ancient." Somehow the simple statement chilled Sora. Of course the trees must be ancient, to be so tall and healthy, drinking up the sun. Why did that bother him? But Sora only nodded. "I'll bet!" He turned to Goofy, and opened his mouth to speak again, he hesitated, but his grin didn't falter "You scared?" he asked. He wished Donald were there. The duck was more fun to rib. Sora laughed inwardly as he imagined Donald's brash, snapping answer: _'Who me?'_

Goofy on the other hand considered Sora's question quite seriously for a moment. "I dunno, are you?"

"Not at all!" With that, Sora struck off into the forest. He was fairly certain he had seen a building while he was flying over, in a clearing, but he couldn't be sure. It was the best place to start looking for whatever there might be to find here. Goofy followed the keyblade master, feeling reassured. Mostly reassured.

The forest floor was soft, covered in countless layers of tightly-packed leaves. With each step the pair felt their feet sink into the earth an inch. Though there was no undergrowth to trip them, the softness of the ground slowly became a hindrance itself, requiring them to pick up their feet just a bit higher than normal. The very air seemed thick, and smelled of damp and the sweetness of rot. Sora began to grow more uneasy, there was no clue here to suggest that the trip was worth it. The world wasn't uninhabited; Sora knew it wasn't, on a deep level. It couldn't be completely empty, but the further he went, the more he found himself hoping that it was, because he wasn't sure he wanted to meet the creatures that called this shadowy, damp place home.

The keyblade master's eyes had not betrayed him during his initial sweep, and after a blessed short jaunt through the forest they came to the clearing. There, perched atop a wild growth of plant life, sat a little cabin. The wood had a light, bleached, dry look to its color, and as they approached they found the sunlight blinding after the shadows of the forest. Sora led the way up to the cabin porch. There was furniture there, ancient, dry-rotted furniture. In his mind's eye Sora could see himself reaching out to touch it; it would all crumble down to dust when he did, but it didn't. The surface was rough and unpleasant, as if the sun had burned away any comfort an old rocking chair could offer. The grains of the wood pierced Sora's hand, and he drew it away quickly. Pain was creeping up into his wrist and he turned his hand over. It was covered in blood, sharp pale needles stuck out from the surface in all directions. He could see the arm of the chair was covered in blood as well, and the grains of wood seemed to be swelling, growing fat and purple, like a mass of leeches. He let out a gasp of pain and panic, closing his eyes tightly.

"Sora?! Sora, are you ok?" Sora opened his eyes and looked at the chair and blinked. Just an old rocking chair, no blood, no pain. Just a chair with a flatted, threadbare, sun-faded cushion in the seat. He looked at his hand, _That's right, I was imagining all that_, then shook his head. "I'm alright Goofy." Sora did his best to give a smile, but it was hollow, lacking confidence. Goofy shrugged his shoulders a bit, feeling the weight of his shield strapped to his back and taking comfort in it.

Sora reached up to knock on the door and hesitated. He did not want to touch the rough surface of that wood. The raised grains so worn that they cast deep shadows in the red light of sunset. Sora blinked. _Sunset? But it was early afternoon when we arrived, we were hardly in the woods for more than ten minutes._ He frowned as he noticed the pain that had sunk into his calves and thighs. The pain of a long hike. _That's impossible._

He was about to mention this to Goofy when the door opened, leaving him no more time to wonder about the odd details he had noticed, in fact, they were sent spiraling out of his head.

There was a man in the doorway. He was an elderly man, with thin, frail limbs, and loose, wrinkled skin. His eyes were bright though, bright green, like a spring meadow. The man looked curious until he saw them, then he smiled. Sora smiled back in spite of his distress, it was hard not to; the man's smile had an openness that you only see in the smiles of young children and the infirm. "My goodness," said the man, "I was wondering who was outside my door, I thought it might be a knight." The man chuckled a bit. "But it's just a boy and his doggie, I like that better."

Sora's smile didn't falter, though some of the feeling behind it did. He wondered if this poor old man lived alone, and how he got along if there was no one to help him.

"Why don't you come in, out of weather." The man moved aside. Sora didn't really think there was much weather to avoid, but he accepted the invitation anyway. "Thank you." He and Goofy said in unison.

The inside of the house was a lot like the outside. It was lit by several dusty oil-lamps, and there was a little fire going in the fireplace, but everything looked faded and washed out. The the air was stale and, the wallpaper, perhaps it had once been some floral design, was peeling and yellowed. The floor was worn smooth in tracks where it received the most traffic. Sora and Goofy looked around until the old man spoke. "The name's Daniel, most people just call me old Danny. Whatsa'bout you boys?"

Sora looked at the man, who was making his way to the rocking chair - this one was only in slightly better condition than the one outside - and answered, "I'm Sora, and this is - " Goofy finished for him "Goofy, pleased to meetya, sir."

The man sat down and chucked. "Sir! My papa was called sir, me, I'm jus' Danny. He smiled at the world-hopping duo. "Why don't you boys have a seat. You hungry? Thirsty? I got some tea, could boil up a pot o' water."

Sora, who was in the process of settling down on the couch, got up again right away. "I could make the tea," he offered.

The man shook his head and got to his feet. He gave Sora a wink. "Nonsense, boy, I can do it." He shuffled to the kitchen door, which was slightly slanted so it could not close. Sora frowned and sat. He wondered how he could have gotten so spooked earlier, this place was friendly enough, and nothing bad had happened. He scolded himself for being so afraid, it had been childish.

Goofy spoke up. "He seems nice. I sure am hungry."

Sora nodded. "Me too." He hadn't realized how hungry he was until now. Goofy's words brought that unease back. _How long were we walking?_ He didn't have long to wonder before Daniel came back, carrying a silver tray. It looked very heavy in his thin hands. Sora resisted the urge to help, not wanting to insult the man.

Daniel set the tray down on the coffee table, it didn't clatter much, cushioned as it was by a thick layer of dust. He then lifted the teapot and poured two cups. Sora frowned "Aren't you having any?" he asked, picking his up. Daniel nodded. "'course I am. I like mine a bit stronger than most. Needa let it steep a few minutes more."

Sora nodded. Goofy had picked up one of the loaves of bread on the tray and broke it in two, handing one half to Sora. Daniel spoke up again. "You boys off to see the old castle?" Of course the castle would be old, everything here was old, ancient. "I know you didn't walk all this way just to visit old Danny."

Sora shook his head. "We're just... exploring. I don't suppose you've seen any other people? Or... maybe some strange creatures?"

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Can't say I have, you should stop by the castle if you're lookin' for strange creatures though."

"Why is that?"

"Only thing interesting enough to have strange creatures would be the castle."

Sora was about to ask another question when he realized something. "Wait, where is the castle. I didn't see a castle before."

Daniel checked the tea and determined it wasn't ready yet. "Whacha mean you didn't see it?" Then he paused, just long enough for Sora to start to answer, before going on. "Ah, that's right. The castle, it's built upside down. Instead of towers reaching up to the sun, it's got towers sunk down into the earth."

Goofy spoke up. "Gawrsh, why would someone build a castle upside down?"

Daniel smiled. "Ahh, that's the question everyone asks. Care to hear a story?"

The pair nodded, eager to listen to any story the old man wanted to tell.

"Well, you see. The castle was built by King Jerome the Mad. They say he was a fine fellow, just a bit soft in the head. When he got an idea though, you'd never be able to convince him different. So, King Jerome decided he wanted a castle unlike any other. He didn't want a tall castle, or an impenetrable castle, he wanted a unique castle. So, he told his subjects he need to have an upside-down castle."

Daniel told them of how everyone said it was impossible, but Jerome would have none of it, and he had them work until the castle was finished, and it was finished, and it was grand. Seeing that his audience was still interested Daniel checked his tea again, deemed it ready, and poured himself a cup. Using the pause to transition into another story, about Jerome's great court, the balls, and the hunts. Everyone was happy under the Mad King's rule, even though he was soft in the head. It seemed like he could talk forever his bright eyes cloudy with nostalgia, has if he had been there himself. It made him look younger. Not that Sora or Goofy were paying him to much attention, they were busy imagining the great adventures of Jerome's knights.

By the time Daniel had finished both Sora and Goofy were yawning and droopy-eyed. Daniel chuckled. "You boys look right beat. Why don't you stay the night, then you can see the great castle for yourself tomorrow." Sora nodded, that was a fine idea. "Have you got spare rooms for us?"

"Most certainly! Got a spare room just down the hall, only one though."

Sora nodded. It might have been a problem if Donald had been there as well, but he and Goofy could fit in one room comfortably enough. Daniel showed them to the room, which had a faded queen-size bed. Sora settled into it, and Goofy lay beside him, unhitching his shield and stowing it under the pillow. Daniel left them in peace once they were down, closing the door.

Sora stared up at the ceiling. "I can't wait to see the castle." he said. Goofy nodded in agreement, but Sora could hardly see that through his closed eyelids.

In his dream Sora was a knight in the Mad King's court, and the King had just finished building his castle. "Walk on your hands, Sir Sora!" Jerome commanded, and Sora did so, laughing as he bent down and lifted his feat above his head. The king clapped his hands. "Everyone in my castle will walk on their hands! Because it is an upside down castle, and there is no other like it in all the world." Many of his subjects complained and whined, but the king looked to Sora and yelled. "Show them how it's done, Sir Sora - show them it can be done!" Sora did as he was bid, still grinning and enjoying the game, but his elbows were bit sore and so were his shoulders. He managed to walk around a bit, but with each step he felt like stakes were being driven into his palms. He looked down and saw that the floor was made of broken splintered wood. It was soaked in his blood and started to make a horrible slurping noise. Sora's hands were numb now, and his elbows screaming from the strain. He had to hold himself up, because if he fell he'd be torn apart by the wood. It would swell up inside him and drink up all his blood. The wood bucked as it swelled and made slobbery sounds. Sora screamed as his elbows finally gave out under his weight and he was dropped to the floor. He was covered in blood and he screamed and trashed, opening up more wounds, then he was falling.

Sora woke up on the floor, and for one horrified moment he thought he was still in his dream, and that it wasn't a dream - but he was covered in sweat, not blood, and those slobbery noises were in fact the drooly snores of his dog-faced friend in the bed above. Sora was still shaking, and he felt like the mob had gone to work on his arms and legs with a baseball bat. He struggled in the bedsheet that clung to his clothes and damp arms and legs. After a moment he managed to throw it off. Once he was on his feet again he felt much better. He felt in control now that that faded, hollow blanket was no longer on him. Hollow, soulless, hungry. Sora shook his head and looked around. Nothing seemed out of place. He was having a hard time shaking the bad feeling from the nightmare though.

Something touched his shoulder and he jumped, letting out a shocked cry and immediately regretting it. A wide strip of wallpaper had finally pulled free from its glue in and settled on him. He brushed it off. _Everything here is so old. I bet this wallpaper is twice as old as I am._

Sora walked to the door. He needed to move around a bit, to dispel his unease and stretch his sore legs. He opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him. It was very quiet in the little cabin. Quieter than it had been on the Highwind. There was something wrong with the silence. Why were there no sounds of insects or night fowl in the forest? Were they all hiding? Waiting for something? It seemed like the whole world was waiting. He listened for any sound. He was sure he had heard something, like a distant hum. Some teeth-rattling frequency of sound. He listened for it and became sure. It was like listening to some kind of crazed alien malice, all represented in a single, gut-liquifying note. He was entranced. Surely this would boil his eyes from his head and unravel his brain until it spilled out his nostrils. Maybe it would have, if a sudden sound from much closer hadn't startled him out of the trance.

Music, it was deafeningly loud compared to the sound Sora had been listening to so intently a moment ago. Bright, upbeat horns, cracking behind the distortion of an old phonograph. Sora frowned, he headed back toward the bedroom, fighter instinct overriding his panic. _This_ isn't _childish. I'm not spooked. There is something wrong with this place. Something horribly wrong._

He needed to get Goofy out, and then they could run back to the gummi ship. They might need to fight their way back. Adrenaline was pumped into Sora's body and he almost made it to the door before something else caught his attention. Perhaps, if he hadn't paused things would have been different, but he couldn't ignore it when the record playing sang his absent friend's name. He paused and listened, the record skipped twice, then went on, a woman, perhaps more than one, started their song again.

"Who's got the sweetest disposition?  
One guess, guess who?  
Who'd never, ever start an argument?  
Who never shows a bit of temperament?  
Who's never wrong, but always right?  
Who'd never dream of starting a fight?  
Who get's stuck with all the bad luck?  
No one! But Donald Duck!"

And at the end of the song he heard Donald's voice, though he supposed it could have been some other duck's voice. It was hard to be sure because of the bad quality of the phonograph's sound. Sora wondered where the old man was, and felt a chill. The record started skipping again, treating Sora to "Wiawiawiawia?! But Don-" for several seconds. He needed to find the phonograph. It was making to much noise, and might be attracting whatever was making that _other_ noise. If he didn't, Goofy and he might not have enough time to get to the ship.

Sora turned and opened the door adjacent the guest room's. The music washed out from it clearer now. He looked through the door and saw a set of stairs. The cellar. He called the keyblade to his hand and made his way down as quickly as he could, he didn't dare touch the wooden railing, and the stairs were steep and narrow. Any other boy would have fallen and died at the bottom of those unforgiving and dark stairs, but Sora was well balanced and, before too long, set the soles of his shoes on the cold packed earth of the cellar floor.

Webs brushed past his face and hair, but he ignored them, there were far worse things to worry about in this place than spiders. The scent of damp rot was stronger down here, under the ground, so sweet he could taste it. Sora followed the sound of the phonograph until he found it and pushed it over. "Who'd never, ever start an arg!" That last arg had sounded like a plea, a desperate cry.

Sora was shaking, it was time to get out, before it was to late, before that horrible sound reached them. He turned around and saw a pair of eyes. Eyes that were bright green, like a vat of acid. Sora could see by that light, but he didn't want to. Danny's face was stretched in a horrible grin that was too wide, and had too many teeth. His skin wasn't loose, it was fluid, and writhing. "Stay for another story, wont ya, boy?" the monster asked. "I know all the stories," his eyes rolled around in their sockets, as if they were searching for something on the surface of his brain. "All the stories that have ever been told, old Danny knows them all." Sora raised his keyblade and whipped it across the monster's face. The skin tore away like wet newsprint, and it seemed to make the smile wider.

The monster pushed Sora backward onto the floor; great ropes of ooze fell from the monster's mouth and opened face. "I got you now too, boy." the monster garbled. "Got your story now." It clawed at Sora and the he hit it again. The monster straddled Sora, trying to pin him down, but Sora pushed it away; it was still only as heavy as an old man.

Sora's fighter instinct started to slip in the face of his fear. The ground beneath him had grown soft, turning to mud as the monster's bodily fluids poured onto it. Sora struggled to get to his feet, the ground sucking at his heels and his legs. He needed to get to the door, he need to get out, or the next time good old Danny told a story, it would be about a young boy who fought monsters and searched for the love of his life. It was to late for Goofy, he was sure, the bedsheets got him, or perhaps the pillow had wrapped around his head and squeezed until his eyes popped. Sora fought toward the stairs, his legs felt like someone had filled them with angry wasps. The Danny-monster had gotten up and grabbed him. "You're ours now, why... stay... listen... we've been waiting so long." Sora jabbed an elbow into its ribs. They cracked and caved inward, lumpy goop ran out the opening as if it were some terrible jelly doughnut. The wound sucked at Sora's flesh.

"No!" croaked Sora, and the word gave him new life. No._ No._ He would not be taken, he would not be sucked into this horrible rotting place. Sora screamed and bucked against the acid-eyed monster's hold, throwing it off. He pushed toward the stairs, and the earth fought to pull him down. _I'll never make it. I'll never see Kairi again._

Thinking her name summoned her image to him. He had to make it out, he needed to see her again. He screamed again, but this time, it was a war cry.


End file.
